Divination (sage study)

Divination is a sage study in the fields of Power and Reverence, describing the pursuit of several means through which knowledge of the future may be gained, specifically those which pertain to the traditions of priests: the reading of entrails, the Book of Changes, occultism, vision quests.

The pursuit of gaining knowledge through various sacred methods, in order to promote the gaining of visions and in becoming a vessel for prophecy. These methods include - but are not necessarily limited to - sacrifice of animals in order to read the entrails, studying the Book of Changes, communicating with the dead through occultism and through asceticism (the pursuit of starvation, suffering or abstinence in order to gain a vision). This practice is meant to support the magical methods of gaining information such as augury or divination spells.

Note that the study does not include prognostication associated with the magi, such as the reading of tea leaves, astrology, numerology or the tarot; these divination techniques are not pursued by clerics and are covered elsewhere.

Sage Abilities

The sage abilities below are those acquired by a character through the study, according to status.

Amateur Status

• Choose Prognostication: allows insight in choosing the best divination method.

• Ritual Slaughter: knowledge of the correct practice in slaughtering creatures for sacrifice and divination.

Authority Status

• Auspicy: by closely observing the behaviour and calls of birds in the area, the character's able to gather details regarding the surrounding half mile in the same manner as the spell commune with nature.

• Divine Guidance: the character is able to obtain guidance from their deity in times of uncertainty or need. This guidance answers the following queries: what action is needed to find safety, what is it the deity desires of the character, what is the best path towards increasing the character's nominal power, or the character's nominal wealth.

• Palmistry: enables the character to gain insight from a given palm to determine characteristics about the individual, including their ability stats, experience level and character class or profession; upon a successful wisdom check, the character is able to determine whether the next three months are going to bring good luck or bad.

Expert Status

• Arcane Sense: Foresee the means by which any spell may be invented, or any magical item be created, regardless of how much power it inherently contains.

• Hydroscrying: using water as a mirror, the character is able to view visual scenes of places and the paths to reach them, following up questions asked in seeking divine guidance.

• Crystallomancy: by dangling a crystal over the body of an individual, the malady by which the individual is suffering can be ascertained; additionally, the same crystal can reveal three details about any item that's been crafted, magical or otherwise.

Sage Status

• Astral Mapping: By allowing oneself to sleep next to a writing tablet and ink, produce a map by the morning that details the route from any point in the planar universe to another, using gates, the astral plane, phlogiston and more.

• Offer Wisdom: character's inner sight enables him or her to invest any other living creature with wisdom or intelligence at the temporary loss of the character's own ability stat (though this is restored within a time), thus giving that creature greater self-awareness; can be offered to non-intelligent creatures also.

See also,
Abulafia, Abraham (1240-1291)
Astrological Chart
Cleric Sage Abilities
Paladin Sage Abilities